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With Z.SONIC turn, ZAHORANSKY introduces a mold concept that significantly accelerates the large-scale production of housings for pen and autoinjectors while also making it more energy- and space-efficient. Against the backdrop of dynamically growing demand for such injectors – primarily due to the rapidly growing market for GLP-1 drugs – Z.SONIC turn offers manufacturers an effective possibility to make the best possible use of their production capacities. Depending on the application, the solution enables cycle times to be reduced by up to 30 percent, increases output by around a third, and reduces manufacturing costs per part by a good 20 percent. Sample ROI (return on investment) calculations also show that the investment can be amortized after approximately nine months, which is significantly faster than with conventional molds. Z.SONIC turn was presented to the public for the first time at K 2025 at the NETSTAL booth. The mold concept was part of a production line with the ELION MED injection molding machine and hot halves with servo-electric needle valve control from EWIKON.
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Rotate, remove, re-inject – without any loss of time
At the heart of Z.SONIC turn is an advanced indexing technology that shifts part of the residual cooling away from the mold and makes part removal cycle-neutral. While the mold remains closed, an integrated rotary unit takes over the positioning for removal. At the same time, the next shot is already starting. In the application shown at the trade fair – a four-cavity mold for autoinjector housings – a cycle time of around twelve seconds was achieved.
The compact design also reduces the mass of the mold by around 1,000 kilograms compared to conventional solutions. This shortens heating times, reduces the energy required, and simplifies the design, as complex relative movements are no longer necessary. “Many visitors told us that Z.SONIC turn was the most innovative application at the trade fair for them. They were particularly impressed by the seamless interaction between the machine, mold, and automation,” says Simon Hug, Head of Global Account Development at ZAHORANSKY.
Higher output, lower unit costs, smaller footprint
The advantages are immediately reflected in the key figures: Compared to a conventional mold concept, the annual output in a sample calculation increases from approximately 8.5 million to over 12.8 million parts, while unit costs decrease by 23 percent. Despite a higher initial investment, the payback period is reduced to around nine months. At the same time, the compact, lighter design takes up less space and energy – a plus, especially in cost-intensive clean rooms. With Z.SONIC turn, ZAHORANSKY delivers a future-proof, scalable solution for manufacturers of pen and auto-injectors who want to quickly expand their capacities while increasing overall equipment effectiveness. “Our approach is to focus on smart technologies rather than on more and more cavities. With Z.SONIC turn, we are demonstrating what ZAHORANSKY stands for: innovation in action, consistently geared towards performance and quality,” summarizes Simon Hug.
